5.6 mi of trail, end to end · Cathedral Vista: 0.6 mi round trip in the Service's write-up · native material surface · trail No. 243 · trail class 2 · typical grade 10-12% · tread 12-18 inches wide · hiking
Cathedral Vista 0.6 mi round trip · the Forest Service's write-up
Photo: US Forest Service
This short, .6 miles round trip, easy trail starts at the trailhead on the south side of the road between Stewart Campground and South Fork Road. The wooded path ends at a vista with a bench, viewing scope, and spectacular view. Not to miss!
South Fork Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up
The South Fork of Cave Creek Canyon is renowned for its biodiversity, scenery and birdwatching opportunities. Flooding in 2014 damaged the South Fork Picnic Area and a portion of the road inaccessible for visitors. Those wishing to reach the beautiful South Fork Trail (provide link here) may still do so, but the site does not have picnic or restrooms amenities at this time.
Restrictions <strong>Day-use only.</strong> No overnight camping. No trailers. Pack and saddle stock are not permitted in picnic area.
The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.
